The Two Jinchuuriki
by Prince-san
Summary: “Jinchuuriki” meaning “the power of human sacrifice”, are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. This is the story of how Gaara, the vessel of the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, the vessel of the Kyuubi.
1. Leaving Sunagakure

"**The Two Jinchuuriki" --- Written By: Kiba Inubake**

**Chapter 1: "Leaving Sunagakure"**

This is my first Gaara story, and I think it'll become better than the rest, due to my new style of writing, and it's all thanks to WielderoftheSharingan! I owe you a lot, man...

* * *

"Jinchuuriki" meaning "the power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. This is the story of how Gaara, who carried the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, who carries the Kyuubi.

* * *

Pre-Information

In Sunagakure, a woman who went by the name Karura had just given birth to a baby boy. Chiyo, an elderly villager, had imbued Shukaku into the Kazekage's unborn son, who was later named Gaara. Karura had died shortly after her son was born, so Gaara had grown up without a mother. He had also grown up without any friends, due to the bijuu inside him. The downside to this was that he could not sleep, or else he would be taken over by Shukaku. However, the upside was that he could control sand and have instant sand protection. It's been said that no one has ever touched Gaara after Shukaku was inside of him.

The only person Gaara had ever trusted was his uncle Yashamaru. Sadly, because Gaara was said to have become too dangerous, it was ordered from the Kazekage, his own father, to have Gaara killed. Yashamaru had taken this job, since he felt angry for his sister Karura's death. Yashamaru had failed, and had also unintentionally been killed by Gaara in the process. After that moment, Gaara had become more mentally unstable than before, and had directed sand to his forehead, carving in the Kanji symbol "ai" meaning "love", forever marking his body.

* * *

"**Chapter 1: Leaving Sunagakure"**

Gaara had one day decided to run away from Sunagakure no sato, in the hopes of starting a new life where people wouldn't spit at his existence. He was protected by the sand, and could double its use as an offensive technique as well. All he took with him was a few bottles filled with water, some money he had taken from his father, some meat he had wrapped up, and his stuffed bear. He had everything he thought he needed, so he left the village late at night when he thought everyone was asleep. However, when he was at the village's gate, he heard a voice. "Where do you think you're going?" Gaara spun around to see his father, who was leaning on a pillar of sand.

"Father..." Gaara started. "I'm leaving, and you can't stop me."

"Do you think I'm going to let you? If you do, then you've got another thing coming!" The Kazekage made several hand signs. "You're not going anywhere!!" The sand beneath Gaara softened, and the young boy began to sink.

Gaara screamed in terror. "Aaaaghh!! I don't want to die! Get me out of this sand! Aaaaghhh!!" He struggled to break away from the sand, but it was of no use. Every movement he made only resulted in him sinking deeper.

"Fool, you thought you could just waltz out of here unnoticed, did you?!" His father shouted. "This is the price you must pay for defying my orders to be our village's ultimate weapon!"

"No!! Don't let me die!! No!!!" Gaara screamed at the top of his lungs. Surprisingly, no neighbors were awoken. By now, he was about 8 inches deep in the ground. Gaara had worn himself out from using the last bit of his energy to struggle free. Sadly, he wasn't successful, and now the bijuu inside of him started to take control. Gaara, or should I say the Ichibi, manipulated sand and completely covered the Yondaime Kazekage.

He made a few muffled noises, but was then killed when Shukaku had performed the Sand Burial technique. Blood mixed with sand fell to the ground, and the quicksand had reverted back to normal, freeing Gaara, who was still unconscious. The bijuu thought to himself, _**"Well, if this kid wants to leave the village, then we'll leave, and kill anyone that gets in our path!"**_ So, Shukaku, who still controlled Gaara's body, ran out of the village at lightning-speed.

* * *

The next morning, Gaara had awoken and somehow taken control of his body again. "Ohh, my head... What happened last night?" 

"_**We killed the Kazekage, that's what!"**_ Shukaku had said from inside Gaara.

"Wha-what?! What's going on?! Who said that?!" Gaara wildly started asking questions.

"_**It's me, your old friend Shukaku! **__**Hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!!"**_ The demon replied.

"Where are you?! What do you want?!" Gaara shouted.

"_**I'm inside you, that's where!!"**_ Shukaku answered, followed by another malicious bellow.

"Aaaaaaghhh!!" Gaara screamed. He started running around in random directions, thinking that would somehow help.

"_**Listen, ya little punk! It's you and me from now on, and we're going to kill anyone and everyone!"**_

"**Get out of my head!!!" **Gaara didn't know what to do, so he just kept repeating that same verse.

"_**We'll be together until you die, kid, and there's nothing you can do about it!"**_ Yet again, another bellow was released.

And this is how Gaara became a killer; by performing Shukaku's demands.

**End of Chapter.**

* * *

As always, please leave a review telling me what your thoughts on it were. Every review counts, and if you're lucky, yours just may inspire me to update quicker! So, uh... hint, hint. 


	2. From One Jinchuuriki to Another

"**The Two Jinchuuriki" –- Written By: Kiba Inubake**

**Chapter 2: "From One Jinchuuriki to Another"**

* * *

Whoo! Chapter 2 is finally done! I had some help from my good buddy Kingdom1234hearts again, and we took two days making it good.

* * *

"Jinchuuriki" meaning "the power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. This is the story of how Gaara, who carried the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, who carries the Kyuubi.

* * *

"**Chapter 2: From One Jinchuuriki to Another"**

Gaara and Shukaku had been on the road for quite a few days when they noticed a village in the clearing. "Hey, we finally made it to another country!" Gaara announced. He happily ran towards the village's gate, but stumbled and collapsed onto the ground. He had run out of food, and had very little energy.

Loud footsteps could be heard coming towards the collapsed jinchuuriki. "Hey, are you all right?" Gaara had only enough stamina left to look up at the person hovering above him – a blonde-haired kid with crystal blue eyes, and what appeared to be whiskers on his face. (Obviously, it's Naruto!) After that, Gaara's head fell to the dirt road. "Oh! Hey, wake up!" –Gaara had blacked out.

* * *

"Hey, you're awake!" Naruto exclaimed. Gaara had just come to from a collapse due to exhaustion and hunger pains.

Gaara yawned, still a little tired. "Where are we?" He asked, looking around the room.

Naruto flashed his famous grin. "We're at my apartment! Sandaime-sama lets me stay here because I've got no parents."

"Wait, you live by yourself and you're only about my age – 6 years old, or something? Where's the logic behind that?" Gaara was confused with the blonde's reasoning for having an apartment.

Naruto thought that over for a little while. "...You know, you have a point…"

Gaara laughed at that statement. "So, what's your name? Mine's Gaara," He asked.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" He exclaimed with a full grin and pointing his thumb towards his chest. "Where were you traveling from, Gaara?"

Gaara frowned a little. "Well, I came from Hidden Sand, but I left because everyone hated me..."

Naruto got riled up by his friend's last sentence. "What?! They hated you?! Why?"

"Well, they say it's because I have a bijuu inside of me... They were all afraid, and I couldn't stand being loathed..." Gaara sadly replied, trying his best to hold back a few tears.

"Huh? What's a bijuu?" He asked.

"They say it's a demon..." Gaara answered. "I bet you're afraid of me too now, aren't you...?"

Naruto shook his head. "No way! You seem like a nice person, so why should I?" Gaara's face lit up.

"You mean it? I'm not a freak to you?" He asked, still acting a little cautious.

"Nope, not a chance!" Naruto replied to a joy-filled Gaara, whose stomach growled. "Hey, you sound hungry. Here, I made this for me, but you seem like you need it more." He handed his starving friend a bowl of ramen from the table behind him & some chopsticks. Gaara started wolfing it down, with a smile on his face that didn't mean he wanted it because he was hungry, but a smile that Naruto knew meant he loved the taste. And sure enough, he was right.

* * *

After Naruto had eaten a bowl of ramen himself, the two had left the building to go to a nearby playground. Gaara had recovered a little, and was very happy to go somewhere with a friend.

"We're here, Gaara!" Naruto announced, as they saw the park in the clearing. "Hey, some other people are here, too!" Naruto pointed to Kiba Inuzuka, Chouji Akimichi, and Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke's big brother Itachi, who was skilled much farther than anyone else his age, was there as well, watching over the 3 kids.

The sand ninja grew a smile, but it soon faded when the Ichibi inside of him spoke up. _**"There are some kids! Let's assassinate all of them!!"**_

"No, not anymore!!" Gaara yelled out loud. Naruto looked at him with a confused look on his face.

"What are you talking about?" He asked his seemingly-crazy friend.

Shukaku took over Gaara's body, since he was still a little weak. He looked back over to Naruto and said, "Uh, never mind."

Naruto shrugged and continued to walk towards the group. When they got a little closer, he shouted, "Hey guys! I brought a new friend today!"

Itachi looked over to the loud blonde. _"I wonder who he is…"_ The older Uchiha thought to himself. _"There's something odd about him…"_

"This is Gaara, from the Wind country!" Naruto loudly exclaimed, obviously proud to have a friend from another country.

Itachi stared hard at the young sand ninja. _"His chakra is immense… Bigger than mine, even… Who is this kid?"_

Shukaku had made a gourd created by sand a little after he had killed the Kazekage. He had taken the cork out of the gourd and released sand. The sand did not fall, however; instead, it floated around him.

Itachi had not let his guard down. When he sensed the sand coming out of the gourd, he quickly moved his hand over to his ANBU sword. He gripped the hilt in one hand, holding the sheath firmly in the other.

"**None of you will survive!!" **Shukaku said in a malicious tone. Naruto and the others looked in fear at him as he directed the sand towards the group. Itachi, who kept his cool as usual, made hand signs and used a technique.

"Water Barrier jutsu!" Itachi shouted, as the sodden ground's wetness lifted, creating a sphere-shaped barrier.

Shukaku grew angrier than before. **"Don't interfere with my destruction!!"** He aimed the sand towards Itachi, who was outside of the barrier. Itachi had managed to get out of the way of the sand and made more hand signs.

"You will not hurt my brother and his friends!" Itachi yelled. "Katon: Goukakyou no jutsu!" Fire blew out from Itachi's mouth, heading towards the red-haired jinchuuriki.

**End of Chapter

* * *

**Did you notice Itachi never used his ANBU sword? I put that in to see if you would notice it or not. ...Okay, the real reason why he didn't use it was because Shukaku was using chakra-infused sand, and a blade can't stop that. So, Itachi's only option was to defend and attack directly. Heh, that reminds me of a joke from Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged episode 17; the part where Kaiba does one of those Master Card commercials, but he replaces the Master Card part with "Kaiba Corp". Okay, please review!


	3. The Power of Pure Hatred

"**The Two Jinchuuriki" —- By: Kiba Inubake**

**Chapter 3: "The Power of Pure Hatred"**

* * *

Chapter 3 has got the best fighting scenes I've ever written before...at least I think it is... Anyway, I thought it was good. Plus, Itachi's officially gone mental...sorta...not really...yeah...

* * *

"Jinchuuriki" meaning "the power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. This is the story of how Gaara, who carried the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, who carries the Kyuubi.

* * *

**Chapter 3: "The Power of Pure Hatred"**

"Katon: Goukakyou no jutsu!!" Itachi yelled, releasing a big ball of fire from is mouth. (Wouldn't that burn his mouth?...) Gaara, ahem, _Shukaku_, had a scared look on, and raised sand to block the impending doom. And sure enough, his sand managed to protect him. Naruto wasn't sure what to do at the time, so he did nothing, just like Sakura does before the Shippuuden. Heh-heh, she's such a useless bitch...

_Arrgh, that damned sand again…_Itachi thought. _I'll have to find a way to get past it…Oh, right, my sword… Hah-hah, stupid me… _The enraged teen drew his blade and made a cool-looking stance with it like Kakashi does with his in his ANBU outfit. "This is my ultimate weapon without using ninjutsu or dojutsu," He stated. "I'll knock you out in less than a minute!"

Shukaku feigned being afraid while he rose the sand from the ground behind his opponent. He made it head for the younger kids, but Itachi had noticed before the attack was made, and grabbed them just in the nick of time. Heh-heh, nick of time... Sounds like a guy named Nick traveled back in time… Anyway, the bloodthirsty Ichibi tanuki had not given up. He sent the sand flying faster after Itachi. However, the Sharingan wielder picked up his pace, which was now 180 mph, if that's even possible, anyway. Well, he is Itachi... So, getting back on topic, he disappeared, and dropped the kids off in a safe hiding area.

"Mess with my brother, will you? You'll pay for that!" Itachi yelled at Gaara. He knocked Shukaku to the ground about 15 meters away, and then activated his mangekyou Sharingan eyes. When Shukaku looked up, he walked right into Itachi's trap by looking into his eyes. "Tsukuyomi…" Suddenly, he felt like he was being drawn into another world, a world where everything was in negatives and the moon, for some reason, was red. Blood red.

"**What's going on?"** A confused bijuu demanded after checking his surroundings. Itachi was not to be found. **"Where'd you go?! Show yourself, you coward!!"**

Itachi, upon hearing this taunt, appeared directly in front of him. "You were saying?" He asked. "Time to pay, you bastard..." The caster of the genjutsu stared hard at him, and then drew his blade. Shukaku remembered he had put his sand armor around Gaara before he woke up. So, he did not fear when Itachi attempted to stab him. Also, he raised a wall of sand to have his opponent's sword get stuck in it. However, when it poked through the sand shield _and_ the sand armor, he began to fear.

Shukaku felt blood drip from the ends of the sword. **"H…how is this possible?! How can you manage to get past the sand?!"** He shouted in agony. The pain he felt was unbearable.

"It's because this special ANBU blade cuts through even the strongest chakra," Itachi explained. "When you blocked my fire, which was infused with my chakra, I noticed that your sand was, as well. But you possess a higher amount of energy… Just what the fuck are you?"

Shukaku received the worst glare he had ever witnessed. **"I am Shukaku, the Ichibi tanuki. And I will kill you!!"** An arm, which was the Ichibi's, extended from the gourd. Itachi jumped up and avoided the attack, then countered with a stab from above. Shukaku screamed in pain as the sword was pulled out of his upper back. He had fainted; the blow had been too much for him.

"Now to finish this before it happens again." Itachi was about to use his black fire technique, _Great Shining Heaven_, but he was interrupted by a high, loud voice to his left side.

"Hold it right there!!" Itachi turned his head to see who had spoken, and to his surprise, it had been Naruto who yelled. "This isn't Gaara; it's some demon inside of him! Gaara would never do that...I think…" Naruto's voice shrank while saying that last part. "But the demon inside of him is what made him leave his home in the first place! Please, he didn't mean to cause all of this. Give him another chance, _please…_" Naruto entreated the older boy.

Itachi thought about it for a minute. "…No. He must be killed now," He replied, about to use his fire element technique. Naruto saw him make the hand signs for the jutsu, and instantly, almost like instinct, he rushed at Itachi. Itachi looked over, but gasped when he saw a few slight changes on Naruto's face: demonic red eyes, red chakra spiraling around him, an evil presence, and the marks on his face were standing out more.

"It's the Kyuubi's power..." Itachi was intimidated by the look of pure anger on the young boy's face. _This is bad… I can't risk it… But I have to kill the jinchuuriki before this gets out of hand…again…_

"**I'm gonna clobber you!!" **Naruto yelled. The power of the kitsune had multiplied his strength by several times. After getting in close enough range, he lunged at Itachi, fangs bared, claws ready to slash. **"I won't let you hurt him!!"** He screamed as he was ready to come in contact with Itachi.

_This is just what I wanted to avoid… _"Look, he's a threat to the village. We can't just let him—" Naruto snarled like a fox, as if being controlled by the kitsune inside of him, and caught Itachi from the rear with a slash of his claws in an uppercut style. The now-bleeding Uchiha teenager was sent soaring into the sky, with blood falling to the ground. **"Aaaaghh!! **He screamed in pain, like the others had many times. _How could I have possibly gotten myself into this mess?!_

Naruto stood in front of Itachi after he had fallen back to the ground. He started to calm down and revert to his normal self. You could tell by the color of his eyes; they had slowly turned less red & bluer by the second. After a few moans from Itachi, who was still shocked how _he_ of all people could've been attacked by a 6-year-old boy who wasn't even in the ninja academy yet, Naruto said, "This is the power someone receives when they fight for someone or something precious to them. Remember that well."

**End of Chapter

* * *

**The next chapter will be a tribute to King...sorta...because he'll be gone for a few days. Like always, review and give me that nice feeling you get when someone compliments you!


	4. Sunagakure Strikes Back

"**The Two Jinchuuriki" —- By: Kiba Inubake

* * *

**"Jinchuuriki" meaning "the power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. This is the story of how Gaara, who carried the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, who carries the Kyuubi.

* * *

**Chapter 4: "Sunagakure Strikes Back"**

Naruto stood before Itachi, who lied on the ground with bloody slashes on his body. Kiba, Chouji, and Sasuke all came into view, with looks of fear and confusion planted onto their faces. "What…what happened to onee-chan?" Sasuke spoke up.

Naruto turned over to Gaara, who was still unconscious. "This looks really bad, doesn't it?" The conscious jinchuuriki asked, with obvious sadness in his voice. "I don't even remember it that clearly...but I think I knew what I was doing..."

Kiba, who was bewildered by his last statement, said, "What do you mean you don't remember?! You freaked out and nearly killed the guy!"

Chouji couldn't help but laugh lightly by the last sentence spoken. He was 'rewarded' with a glare from the crying Uchiha. "That _does_ sound a little funny..." Chouji said, trying to back himself up, since Kiba wouldn't.

"Umm...okay, I don't get what Kiba said," Naruto broke up the conflict. "I don't think I would forget something like that."

"Yeah, you would," Kiba replied. "It's just because you're an idiot."

"Oh yeah, _that's_ why!" Naruto exclaimed. Hehheh, what an idiot…

Sasuke stepped forward and shouted, "Hey! Aren't you guys forgetting about my brother?"

The three looked at him. "No, we didn't forget…" Kiba lied. "So, uh, should we call some medical ninja or something?" He asked the group. They all shrugged at first, but after another cold glare from Sasuke, they all nodded and sped off in the hospital's direction.

* * *

Two years passed, and Naruto & Gaara became best friends; you could even say they were inseparable. In that time, Gaara soon became accepted by the village. Itachi's wounds had healed, yet he still held a grudge. ((Major foreshadowing!!!)) Anyway, during this period of time, **the two jinchuuriki** had been helped by the Sandaime. When he had the time, he started them off with the basics, and when he could not help them train in person, he had given them scrolls instead. They were content at the time, but they developed quickly, and wanted to learn higher-ranked ninjutsu. So, the Hokage made a deal with them: if they could perform all of the techniques they had learned flawlessly, he would bump them up to the next level. And they had.

Some techniques the boys were taught were mainly wind-element ninjutsu, due to the fact that they were best in that area. Not only were they taught wind jutsu, but also two special jutsu. They were 'Katon: Dragon Flame jutsu', which is similar to the Grand Fireball jutsu, but stronger, and 'Rai Chi Strike', meaning 'chakra-infused lightning strike'. With enough practice and patience, the two had managed to master the devastating ninjutsu.

However, not all was well. Remember back when the Kazekage was killed by Shukaku? Well, just because it happened at night, and the fact that he's a minor character otherwise, doesn't mean people forgot about it. The next day, the villagers of Sunagakure no sato were mortified to see the man they respected lying deceased and covered in his own blood, plus a little sand, on the ground. They assumed that the Ichibi had done this, because there were no (other) traitors in the village. So, they decided to take matters into their own hands. The people of the Wind country had all gathered together and planned their attack against Gaara & the Ichibi.

* * *

On a cool and sunny day, **the two jinchuuriki** were out playing at the park when they saw a kid walking into the park with a smile on his face. Almost like second nature (which it probably was), Naruto smiled as well and greeted him. "Hi! My name's Naruto Uzumaki, and this is Gaara. What's your name?"

The kid smiled. "Hello, Naruto and Gaara! I'm Rock Lee. It's a pleasure to meet you," He replied, bowing his head.

"Hey, wanna play tag with us? We'll have enough people if you play," Gaara asked.

Lee nodded. "Sure, I'll play!" He flashed a bright smile.

Naruto was about to say something, but he stopped himself when he felt a large amount of people's presences coming toward them, and quickly. "Hey, do you guys think people are running towards us or something?"

Lee and Gaara were going to say no, but then they noticed a group coming, as well. "Well, now that you mention it..." Gaara started.

"I think a group is coming, just like you did," Lee finished.

Naruto pulled out a kunai from the pouch on his leg. "Hey, I think I see someone...no, there's a bunch of people!"

Gaara had gotten much, **much** better at controlling his sand, so he raised the sand below them and allowed the group to levitate in the air.

"This is...amazing!!" Lee exclaimed. He then fixed his gaze forward, and clearly saw ninja, whom he believed were Jonin and Chunin, because of their apparel, running with a variety of weapons in their individual hands. "Uh-oh, they look pretty angry..." Lee commented.

Gaara instantly recognized what country they were from: Sunagakure no sato, despite not seeing another Sand nin for a very long time. "They're Sand ninja... I'm sorry for causing this..." The two stared at him in confusion.

"You mean you have something to do with them coming here?" His blond comrade asked. Gaara slowly nodded. "Well...why?"

Gaara looked down. As tears started dripping from his face, he said, "It's because of the bijuu...!" Gaara began to cry.

"That damn demon caused something bad for you _**again**_?!" Naruto roared. "Well, we're not going to let you get hurt for something like that! Right, bushy brows?" He was referring to Lee, who did not like that comment.

"Hey, don't make fun of my eye brows!" Lee shouted in defense. "Anyway, now's not the time for conflict."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Right, Lee." The sand ninja were less than 100 meters away now. Naruto looked up at the sky, which had turned gray. Dark clouds had covered most of the sky, and thunder could be heard occasionally. "Hey Gaara, it's almost like a higher power _wants_ us to fight them!" Gaara agreed. They both strung together hand signs, each sign different from the other jinchuuriki's.

"Katon: Dragon Flame Bombs!!" Gaara roared, jumping into the air and releasing a huge fireball from his mouth.

"Rai Chi Strike!!" Naruto followed. Numerous lightning bolts were summoned from the clouds and dropped down onto the Sand ninja, who were about to be burned.

The sand ninja were hit by both attacks, which the 3 of them thought was too easy of a victory against Chunin & Jonin. Some had managed to dodge the blows, mainly Jonin, but were stopped in their tracks as Naruto used a technique the Sandaime had taught him.

"Fuuton: Kaze no Yaiba!" Naruto attacked the other ninja with cutting wind. The results were fatal.

The three looked at the Sand ninja with amazed and confused expressions. "Umm...did we just defeat a whole army of strong ninja with just two attacks?" The blond asked. "I don't get it; we're not even Genin, and we won."

"Neither do I, Naruto," Gaara replied. "Maybe it had something to do with..."

"With what?" Naruto wanted to know what Gaara was going to say.

Gaara didn't give his friend an answer, but instead said, "I think we should see Oji-san."

**End of Chapter**

* * *

**Did you like it? Sorry for the long update... I think they forgot about Lee, lol.**


	5. Why They Are Called Jinchuuriki

"**The Two Jinchuuriki" — By: Kiba Inubake**

* * *

I know it's been a while since I last updated... Sorry about that... But anyway, here's your nonsensical, seemingly-random chapter!

* * *

"Jinchuuriki" meaning "the power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. This is the story of how Gaara, who carried the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, who carries the Kyuubi.

* * *

**Chapter 5: "Why They Are Called Jinchuuriki"**

After the battle, Gaara raced off to the Hokage's office, with the confused blond ( Where have we all heard that before? XD ) trying to catch up.

"Gaara, slow down a little, would ya?" Naruto, the evidently confused blond, yelled over to his red-haired friend, who stopped and waited for Naruto to catch up.

Out of breath, a panting Naruto asked, "Thank you, and why are we going to see the old man?"

"I want to ask him something about our victory; now hurry up!" Gaara replied, dashing off once again.

Naruto folded his arms. "So impatient..." He muttered before following his fellow jinchuuriki.

* * *

When they had come in visual range of their destination, the Hokage building, they barged in, running around inside it. When they found the office--which was by sheer luck--they entered it rather rudely, not knocking or anything.

"Hokage-sama, we need your help!" Gaara exclaimed, not even knowing if the said person was even in the room. However, he was.

"Oh, hello," The 3rd Hokage greeted the boys. "What do you need help with? Does it involve prune juice? If it does, I can help you with that, hohoho..." He said, pointing to the corner of the room, which had several barrels marked with "PRUNE JUICE".

**The two jinchuuriki** looked at each other. "Old man, are you on crack again?" Naruto asked. Gaara, who didn't know anything about the Hokage being on crack previously, struggled to hold back his laughter.

"Hohoho, _maybe_..." The Hokage replied. "Anyway, what do you need help with, talking hot dog?" The one who was now obviously hallucinating was referring to Gaara.

Gaara stared at the senile old man, then suddenly burst into laughter. After hearing the village leader admit he was on crack and then being called a talking hot dog by him, the red-haired jinchuuriki just couldn't keep the hilarity of the situation kept at the side.

"Um, Gaara..." Naruto started. The sand ninja, who was now rolling on the floor, just kept guffawing and holding his sides. "Gaara..." The blonde's calls, a little more stern now, were fruitless; instead of talking, which had no effect, he decided to take the physical approach. He pulled back his right arm, and then slugged Gaara in the gut.

The Ichibi's vessel cried out in pain. "Naruto!! What the hell was that for?!"

"For not listening to me; now then, what did you want to ask Gramps?" Naruto answered, referring to the high village leader.

"Oh, right. Sarutobi-sama, we just defeated a whole platoon of Chuunin and Jonin Sand ninja easily, and we want to know why," Gaara stated.

"..." The high old man was silent for a minute, and then sighed. "I guess it's time I tell you boys about sex--I mean your inner demons."

**The two jinchuuriki** didn't know whether to believe the Hokage or not; I mean, who would? He's high, for one. He's a senile old man. Who in their right minds would believe him? The answer: Naruto.

"Oh my God, we have demons inside of us?!" The idiot yelled.

"You fool... I do, but not you...most likely, anyway," Gaara replied, unsure if his blonde idiot of a friend actually had a bijuu inside of him as well.

"No, you both do!" The Hokage shouted. "And this time it's not the senility _or_ the drugs talking!"

"Uh-huh, _sure_ we do, old man," Naruto replied sarcastically.

"No, you undercooked hot dog! You do! It's true!" He said, now referring to Naruto as the hot dog.

"…" Neither jinchuuriki could utter a word. The stupidity and senility of the old man had left them dumbfounded. They didn't speak...until... "Oh my God, it's been...um...over 20 paragraphs already!! Can we just get to the plot already?!"

"Oh, fine! We'll have it your way!" Pouted the old man. "Crap-jerks... Okay, undercooked hot dog, your father Minato--the bigger undercooked hot dog--I mean the 4th Hokage--sealed the Kyuubi inside of you and sacrificed his life instead of doing the smart thing and just killing it. Because of this, you have extra chakra reserves and higher strength than that emo Uchiha kid who hates you for no particular reason; I guess it's 'cause he's an emo freak. Anyway, getting to the overcooked hot dog, you have the Ichibi sealed inside of you, because your father was a selfish ass."

"Hey, my father was--" Gaara stopped mid-sentence, forgetting that he was called an overcooked hot dog. "...You know, you're right; he _was_ an asshole."

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold up!" Naruto exclaimed. "Why am I _under_cooked when Gaara gets to be _over_cooked?!"

"God damn it, you're missing the point, mustard-head!!" The Sandaime yelled, mustard meaning blonde-haired.

"Does that make me a ketchup-head?" Gaara asked, a look of hope in his eye.

"Yes; now go away," The elderly man said, leaving Gaara ecstatic.

'_I'm a ketchup-head... My life's goals have finally been accomplished!!'_ The so-called "Ketchup-head" thought to himself.

"So...the point is...?" Naruto wondered. "...Wait, are you saying the point is that I have a demon inside of me?"

"Yes, you retard!!" The two others chorused.

"...So it has nothing to do with ramen," He checked bluntly.

"NO!!" The two roared.

"Ohh... So I have a demon inside of me, then?" Naruto, being the dumb blond he is, asked. Like I implied earlier, blondes will be dumb sooner or later.

They both slapped their foreheads. "For the sake of God, just shut up and get smarter!!" Gaara yelled rudely.

Naruto started to tear up a little. With a sniffle, he said, "You guys are crap-meanies..." **End of Chapter

* * *

**Lmao, I had so much fun writing this chapter! I should bash the Sandaime more often, hehehe.

See Matt, this is what I meant by a short, yet sufficient chapter.


	6. The Power of a Jinchuuriki

"**The Two Jinchuuriki" — By: Kiba Inubake**

**

* * *

**All right, chapter 6 is up! I really enjoyed this chapter; I'm sure you will, too.**

* * *

**"Jinchuuriki" meaning "the power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. This is the story of how Gaara, who carried the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, who carries the Kyuubi.

* * *

**Chapter 6: "The Power of a Jinchuuriki"**

Gaara gazed in awe at how stupid his best friend was. "_Sigh…_ Naruto… Mmm, anyway, why don't we go train? I'm sure now that we know how great our potential is, we could really kick some serious ass!" He exclaimed, raising a fist and acquiring a determined look.

"But, um…can't we do that already?" Naruto asked.

His friend "the ketchup-head" lost all traces of determination, now sporting an unenthusiastic expression. With a sigh, he gave up and replied, "Let's just go…"

* * *

Gaara and Naruto had dashed all the way to Training Ground #2, their favorite practice area.

"Gaara! Heh, I'm not gonna lose that easily to you!" Naruto announced, stretching his arm into the air and pointing his index finger, his fox-like grin everlasting.

"Same here, Naruto," Gaara replied in a more serious tone, but just as thrilled. "Whenever you're ready."

The blonde-haired jinchuuriki inhaled deeply, then transformed his mischievous grin into a determined one. "I'm gonna blow you away!!"

The two combatants instantly receded into the concealing pink trees.

* * *

Naruto rustled through the maze of nature surrounding him. At last, he had found a small retreat. Sensing no danger, the jinchuuriki proceeded on. He sat down and relaxed, thinking of a plan.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gaara had spent his time doing something his opponent would have never expected. He had been concentrating his chakra and repeating several hand signs, inaudibly mumbling the names of the Zodiac. Finally, his work was finished. He had called on his bijuu, Shukaku.

* * *

During Naruto's downtime, he had created a new jutsu, to fit accordingly to his plan. _'This'll get him, for sure!'_ Naruto thought, feeling pride in himself.

To his following dismay, he had let his guard down, giving Gaara / Shukaku the advantage. Up in one of the taller trees, Shukaku stood on a sturdy branch, leering down upon his enemy.

'_**Hahahahh… So the Kyuubi's vessel is our opponent, huh?'**_ Shukaku thought to Gaara, seeing as they share the same thoughts.

'_Yeah, but it's not a death match. We're just training, all right?'_ The jinchuuriki thought back to his bijuu.

In a blur, an immense figure leaped behind Naruto. _**'Peek-a-boo,'**_ A voice whispered in the blonde's ear.

"Aah!" Naruto yelped in surprise. He hadn't been expecting anyone to confront him…or had he? The voice belonged to the Ichibi, which slashed at the boy's front side with razor-like claws, ripping the victim's skin and knocking him to the luscious green grass. Blood gushed out from the cut in Naruto's chest. Shukaku laughed evilly…until the body vanished, leaving a cloud of smoke behind.

'_**What the hell?!'**_ Shukaku roared, astonishment consuming his voice.

"**Behind you, believe it!!"** An irate voice growled from behind Shukaku. The bijuu turned to view Naruto, consumed by crimson chakra, with a ball of cerulean chakra in his right hand.

Naruto charged towards Shukaku at blinding speed. When he reached the vicinity for close-range attacking, he shifted his right arm to strike the center of the tanuki's body. He snarled, **"Rasengan!!"**

The jinchuuriki's chakra orb collided with Shukaku. It spun him in a circular fashion, and blasted him away. With a roar of agony, he impacted with a thick tree, and knocked it over. Gaara's jutsu was reversed, calling off his inner demon. Gaara was shedding blood from the many cuts covering his body.

"Ohh…" He mumbled, feeling intense pain. Naruto rushed over, the traces of his bijuu gone as well.

Anguish overwhelmed Naruto as he examined what he had done to his best friend. "Ga…Gaara…"

His wounded comrade turned his head to face him. "Ngh… Naruto…" Gaara managed to utter, "…Hehehe…you're amazing, Naruto…" The red-haired jinchuuriki grinned slightly.

"Hehe," Naruto returned the grin, only wider. "Gaara…"

Gaara laughed a little, but then suddenly passed out from the blow he had taken.

"Gaara?!" Naruto yelled. "Gaara! Wake up!" But it was a fruitless attempt; his friend didn't wake up. -**End of Chapter.

* * *

**Wow... You've got to have a stone for a heart to not feel sadness after that last part... Am I right? Anyway, please review. According to statistics, I have about 1 review for every 200 hits. T-T So please, click the pretty button and review.


	7. Lashing Through Life

"**The Two Jinchuuriki" — By: Kiba Inubake**

* * *

"Jinchuuriki" meaning "the power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. This is the story of how Gaara, who carried the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, who carries the Kyuubi.

* * *

**Chapter 7: "Lashing Through Life"**

Naruto wept for his unconscious friend. "Gaara… Gaara, I'm so sorry…!" Naruto sobbed. "It's going to be all right, though; we'll be at a hospital before you know it." That said, he slid his arms under his friend's bloody body, ignoring the warm blood dripping onto him, and picked him up. He leapt into the trees and headed toward the village medical center.

* * *

Naruto burst into the hospital with Gaara slumped in his arms, drawing in attention. "Gaara…he…he needs help…!" The blonde jinchuuriki struggled to say between gasps.

A brunette nurse ran toward him. "What happened to him?!" She cried, examining the cuts and the spiral wound on his abdomen.

"It was a training accident…" Naruto answered despondently. Receiving a nod from the nurse, he handed Gaara over to her after removing his gourd.

"He needs immediate attention," The nurse told him. She carried him down the hallway and into a room. Naruto took a seat in the lobby.

Naruto had been sitting in the hospital for hours. Most of his anxiety had vanished long ago from boredom. With a lazy look in his eyes, he stared at the ground. He was just about ready to barge into Gaara's room and see what was taking so long. Luckily for him, though, a certain red-haired sand ninja stepped into the lobby a moment before his patience had run out. Naruto looked up, and his eyes grew wide. "G-Gaara! You're okay!" A smile made its way onto both of their faces.

"I wouldn't say 'okay', but…" Gaara laughed for a moment, but then grew a serious face. "Naruto, I want to ask you something," Gaara requested suddenly. "That ball of chakra that you called the Rasengan…how did you…?"

Sensing what he was asking, Naruto answered Gaara without letting him finish. "I had heard stories about the Yondaime using it, and figuring that it was just a ball of chakra, I decided to try learning it." Talent runs through blood, evidently.

"…I see…" Gaara understood. "…Naruto, I'm much better now. Don't feel so bad about using it on me."

"I don't know if I can, though… I hurt you so badly, Gaara…" Naruto sulked. He looked down at the floor…and his stomach growled a moment later.

"…Would you like me to treat you to some ramen?" **–End of Chapter

* * *

**

I had a bit of a hard time coming up with what to use for this chapter...


	8. Academy Day

**"The Two Jinchuuriki" – Kiba Inubake**

* * *

"Jinchuuriki" meaning "the power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. This is the story of how Gaara, who carried the Ichibi, met Naruto Uzumaki, who carries the Kyuubi.

* * *

**Chapter 8: "Academy Day"**

The day was coming up, when education would begin and lazing around would become unheard of.

The day when the ninja academy opened.

Naruto was eager to begin training, and Gaara just as much. However, what concerned them was how they would be divided into three-man squads. They were exceptionally talented for their age group, so it was more than likely that they would be separated to balance out team power.

But, being the optimist he was, Naruto convinced himself and his friend that fretting about the future wouldn't help at the moment, so they thought past it and focused on what their academy days would be like.

"Naruto-kun, what are you looking forward to most in the academy?" Gaara asked, relaxed on a park bench.

"You mean besides graduating? I'm kinda lookin' forward to meeting all the people I'm gonna blow away someday!" Naruto laughed.

Gaara giggled along with him. He twirled a strand of red, wavy Sunagakure hair. "I'm looking forward to making new allies too, Naruto-kun."

"Hey Gaara, we should pull a prank!" A mischievous glint sparkled in deep cerulean eyes.

"A…prank?" Gaara repeated. "What did you have in mind?"

A roguish grin grew over the Konoha ninja's features. "Well…"

* * *

Dawn cracked the sky. The sun was rising over orange clouds, warming the chilly Spring air. With the awakening of the outside world came the awakening of the only blond male knucklehead in Konoha. Yawning, he got out of bed and looked over at the analog wall clock. He had 2 hours before the academy classes begun.

'_Okay! This gives us just enough time to pull off the prank!'_ Naruto snickered. He walked over to Gaara's bed. The blond Jinchuuriki shook a soft red cover made of down. "Hey, Gaara. Wake up, we have to go soon."

Poking out from under the blanket, red hair showed itself. Gaara groggily came to, rubbing his black eyelids. "Oh…time to get ready...? Okay…"

The two imps, once having prepared themselves, stepped foot outside on the grass outside Naruto's small apartment. Laughing mischievously, the two boys took off towards not the academy building…but the Uchiha complex.

* * *

"Oh, I see…" A deeper voice stated. "So you need my help for a head game, eh?"

"Yup," Naruto nodded, with pleading eyes.

The ninja whom they were requesting help from sniggered. "Sure, why not? It's not like any real harm could result from _this_."

"Yes! Thanks, Itachi!" The Uchiha's former opponent showed his gratitude.

Itachi laughed quietly. "Haha… Go on ahead. I'm taking Sasuke today, so I'll work from the shadows. As soon as Iruka—that's the sensei at the academy—walks in, I'll activate the hallucination jutsu." Itachi grinned.

Gaara smiled cheerfully. "Understood! Ja na, Ita-nii!" With that, the two Jinchuuriki sped off toward the academy grounds.

* * *

15 minutes were left before school started for the first time. Most of the students scattered across the school grounds were nervous. Others were feeling excited. And then, in the rarest case, two future students couldn't seem to contain their laughter. Messy blonde and red hair danced in the morning breeze as their hosts began to walk up the outside steps to the rooftop of the academy. The top was white with a red Kanji symbol painted in the center, facing away from the Great Hokage Stone Faces. 24" of metal rose up to act as a semi-fence, preventing a slip along the sides to be life-threatening. The two currently standing atop it looked down at the site below them.

"Gyahahaha! This is gonna be a great trick!" Naruto laughed.

"What's going to be a great trick?"

Naruto and Gaara almost fell over the fence from surprise. "Wh-who the hell are you?!" Naruto questioned in shock.

"I'm the academy teacher, Umino Iruka," replied the tall man wearing a Chunin vest. His skin was slightly darker than the average villager of Konoha, and he had a peculiar horizontal scar across the top of his nose. "It would be wise not to use profanity when talking to the teacher, also."

Naruto squinted his eyes. "I don't know who you are, but I'm Naruto Uzumaki. And I'm gonna blow away everyone else here!!" Naruto stated with determination in his eyes and a grin plastered on his face.

Feeling it would be polite, Gaara spoke as well. "I'm Sabaku no Gaara. I am the second-born son of the Yondaime Kazekage," he introduced. "We're both going to be attending this school."

Iruka was taken aback. _'A dense braggart and the son of the Kazekage…?'_ He scrutinized the boys for a moment, thought for a moment, and chuckled. "Heh, this will certainly be an interesting year…" Gaara and Naruto smiled upon feeling safety thrust upon them.

"Now, classes start in 5 minutes," Iruka told. "I suggest you come down and take a seat inside before they're all taken."

Naruto and Gaara exchanged glances. "Uh, okay, I guess we'll go down then," Naruto said.

"See you soon, sensei!" Gaara said as they hurried down the steps. Iruka sighed.

"Naruto-kun, we were supposed to go in without saying anything to Ita-nii so people wouldn't get suspicious, right?" Gaara asked for validation.

"Yup, that's the plan," Naruto answered, passing by the Uchiha brothers.

The two boys entered the building. Walking down a straight hallway, they went into the first door on their left. They had stayed on the first floor, so they entered the classroom where the sensei usually comes in from. Stepping onto the interior of the room, several eyes, but not all, turned to the orphaned pair. They returned the gazes with a scan of their class. Taking a last glance at each other, they walked to an empty row and sat down. Seated around them were many kids they had already met sometime before, and there were many new faces as well. One in particular caught Gaara's eye. She had dark hair and pale eyes, and her gaze was fixated on Naruto. She was very cute in Gaara's mind.

In Naruto's eyes, the cutest one there was the pink-haired girl whom he had seen only a few times before—Sakura Haruno. She was mean and stuck-up, but damn could she wear the hell out of that red ribbon.

"Hey Gaara, 7:00! Look at the pink one over there!" Naruto whispered. Gaara turned his head, only to see a crowd of girls fangasming over the younger Uchiha brother, Sasuke. Sasuke seemed to be enjoying the attention, for he was making conversation with just about everyone there, and not a drop of frustration seemed to cloud over him.

"Yeah? What about 5:00?" Gaara asked.

Naruto turned his whole body around. "…The one without pupils?"

"The one without color in her eyes."

"Oh, I think I've seen her a few times before…maybe…"

"What do you think of her? She's been staring at you this whole time," Gaara told him in a quiet voice.

"Whoa! No way!" Naruto laughed.

"I think you might have a chance with her, Naruto-kun," Gaara smiled.

The door slid open, and Iruka appeared. Gaara tapped Naruto's shoulder. "Hey, Iruka-sensei came in! That's when Itachi said he'd start!"  
Naruto's full attention was caught. "Ah! All right!! I can't wait to see how this turns out!"  
"I am your teacher, Umino Iruka. Today we're just going to—" Iruka halted his speech. He felt the ground rumbling. "Wh-what's this…?!" The ground shook tremendously, and the Hokage stone carvings, in clear distance from the window on the side of the building, each cracked one-by-one and crumbled to sand. The occupants of the building were in as great a shock as the earthquake had felt.

"Th-the stone faces?! Did they just get destroyed?!" Iruka ran to the window, opened it and jumped out. He ran up the side of the building. Now at the rooftop, he looked over towards the stone faces.

They were completely fine.

"What the… What the hell is this?!!" Iruka shouted. Laughter from two pupils could be heard inside the classroom. With confusion struck over Iruka's face, he returned to his class to see what was going on.

"AAHhahahaha!!" Naruto was laughing his head off. "We got you good!!" The students were also confused now.

"What's going on, damn it?!" shouted a kid wearing a fur jacket in the back of the room. A puppy barked after its master had.

"Hey!!" Iruka called. He was not amused. "I want to know who pulled this prank **right now**!" His focus was mainly on Naruto and Gaara, based on his overhearing of part of their conversation before class had begun.

Naruto and Gaara said nothing. Itachi peered into the class from the window. He walked away, laughing quietly to himself as he took the path home.

* * *

After the academy had let out for the day, Naruto and Gaara hung around at the swing near the southeast corner of the wall surrounding the academy grounds. Naruto sat on the swing, and Gaara was lying down in a bed of softened sand. They were recollecting what they had done today, what they wanted to do later in that academy, and the like. It was not until late into their stay, however, that Gaara had noticed a spying eye behind the wall. Behind them was the Hyuga heiress, the girl that was paying close attention to Naruto in class that day. It was faint, but he could hear someone close by them breathing. "…Heh. Are you planning on coming out?" Following his seemingly-random statement came a gasp, which assured Gaara's victory in the battle of wits.

For a moment, she was silent. But instead of running away, she came around from the other side. There was no use in running, since they evidently already knew she was eavesdropping. "U-um… H-hello…" said their shy spy.

"Hi there," Naruto said warmly. Even though it didn't seem like much, his friendly attitude despite her situation had made her feel safe. "What's your name?"

"H…Hinata… Hinata Hyuga…" the heiress said as best she could. She was blushing like mad, and had to resort to keeping her head bowed so her hair could hide her embarrassment.

"So, did you like that prank we pulled today? Eheeheehee!" Naruto smiled sheepishly.

Hinata looked up. "Y-you did th-that…!? H-how…?"

"We had some help from a genjutsu specialist," Gaara admitted, "but the whole thing was Naruto's idea."

"O-oh… I was wondering who that was, behind the building…"

Naruto raised a brow. "Wait, how did you know Itachi was there?"

Hinata took in a deep breath. "I'm of the Hyuga family… I wield the Byakugan, a d-dojutsu that allows m-me to see through ordinary objects. That's how I kn-knew he was there casting a genjutsu…"

Naruto was amazed. "W-whoa, cool! Gaara! Are you thinking what I am?!"

"P-probably not…ahaha…" Gaara has a dirty mind, you see.

"We should let her be our lookout!" Naruto exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Gaara thought about the suggestion. "Hmm… You're right, she **would** be very well suited for the position…" He looked over to their subject. "Do you want to join us, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata's face turned red instantly. The thought of being proactive with her interest and another attractive guy was overwhelming. "I…I'd…l-love to!!" she forced out. She gasped and put her hands over her mouth as if she wanted to take back those words, despite meaning them.

Naruto beamed a happy face. "All right!! You're one of **us** now!!" He slung an arm around Hinata to show brotherhood.

She fainted within a second. **–End of Chapter

* * *

**

It's almost been a year since I wrote for this story... I didn't think it had been that long, wow. But, nonetheless, I felt bad, so I made this chapter especially long. I think it came out really good, actually. It definitely wasn't what I had thought I would do initially, but I like how it turned out. 'Kay! Review, please! Next update will be within the month.


End file.
